15 May 2025 – Amajita are through to the final of the U20 Africa Cup on Nations after beating Nigeria 1-0 in a tense final at the Suez Canal Stadium in Egypt on Thursday night.
A lone strike from Tylon Smith in the 66th minutes, assisted by Neo Rapoo, sealed the victory for the South African U20 men’s national team.
Coach Raymond Mdaka’s team started their AFCON campaign with a defeat to the hosts Egypt, but they regrouped to eventually march to the final for the first time in 28 years. Their last appearance in the Afcon finals was back in 1997, where they lost against Morocco.
Mdaka congratulated his players and said they have grown with each passing game in the tournament and shown a lot of character.
“Yes, another win, congratulations to the boys. What a good job, good character, very disciplined, sticking to the agreements, tactical, technical. We really appreciate it,” he said.
“As much it was not easy, our boys are growing in each and every match, growing in character and growing in everything. Thank you so much and well done boys and well done for the country.”
SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan congratulated the team on their achievement.
South African Football: In 2010 , South Africa became the first African nation to host the FIFA World Cup.
Twix Bond
Although Ireland has hosted the Rugby World Cup, they remain the only host nation that has not reached the semi-finals of the tournament. This demonstrates the competitive nature of the sport and the ongoing quest for Irish rugby to achieve greater success on the international stage.
Bridge Whip
Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla stadium and Bangabandhu stadium have hosted more ODIs than Lord’s.